


Wrapped With A Bow

by wordsOfA_feather



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: 25 Days of Fic, Anal Sex, Angst and Feels, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Smut, F/F, F/M, M/M, Oral Sex, Puzzleshipping, Rough Sex, There's a lot of smut, Thiefshipping, but make it christmas, december shenanigans, notice how I started with the sex tags, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:15:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27814411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsOfA_feather/pseuds/wordsOfA_feather
Summary: Love is a strange emotion full of complex steps and turns. It connects us all, but in particular, it connects six people who find that family and friendship hang in the balance during the most wondrous time of the year.Enter Yugi, the cute little bundle of baggage who is trying to learn how to re-live life after not fully dealing with recent events. At the same time, Bakura, a self-proclaimed Christmas-crasher, finds himself having to work through unexpected news, causing him to question loyalty to his family. All the while, Joey tries to find out where he fits in his love life and questions if it's all even worth it.Love is certainly strange, but nothing worth having in life ever comes so easily.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto, Yami Bakura/Marik Ishtar
Comments: 20
Kudos: 39





	1. December 1st

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back for my favorite month of the year!
> 
> Definitely a lot more organized and filled with Christmas cheer; this is my love letter to my favorite OTPs. Some chapters are fueled by certain songs (both Christmas and non-Christmas). I'll try to list the inspiring song at the notes in the beginning, if it applies. 
> 
> Either way, I hope y'all love reading this as much as I loved writing it.

The cold chill lightly blew in through the slightly opened window, further ruffling the red curtains hanging around it. It had snowed in Domino the night before, coating the entire city in a layer of powdery white and judging by the chill that just blew in, the scent of the holidays. 

A deep moan caused Bakura to roughly dig his nails into the hips of the male below him.

Luckily, the snow brought along the first lay of the month, as well.

He felt his end come near at the sight of the view before him. The blond was face first into a pillow, his hands gripping the sides tight as Bakura plowed into him from behind. 

“Don’t…stop…” Came the muffled, breathless command as Bakura groaned and grabbed a fistful of the blond’s hair, pulling his head upright. His pacing not slowing. 

Now Bakura couldn’t tell you why, but a sudden realization caused him to take his sight off of the male under him and glance at the digital clock on nightstand beside them. “Fuck!” He pushed himself off of the blond and all but nearly toppled off of the bed that they were both on as he scrambled to find his clothes. The blond, who had fallen back against the mattress, glared back at him, confusion laced with anger painted on his face. 

“What the hell, Bakura!”

“I’m fucking late.” Bakura responded with in a short breath as he struggled to get his second leg through his pants. “I was supposed to meet Ryou 30 minutes ago to pick out a stupid tree.”

“And you couldn’t let me finish?”

Bakura’s brows immediately furrowed as he glared back at the blond for the first time since he pushed him off. “I made you come three times, Marik. I, however, have to leave without getting the fuck off.” He groaned and threw on his shirt before continuing, “which was the _entire_ point of even meeting with you today.”

Marik smirked as he grabbed the blanket beside him and pulled it over to cover his lower half. He grabbed two phones from the nightstand and tossed one of them to the other male. “Well, you know where to reach me whenever you feel like finishing.”

Now fully dressed, Bakura rolled his eyes and threw his jacket on as he rushed out of the door.

____________________

Bakura subconsciously held his breath as the cab slowed to a stop. He had texted his brother letting him know that he was on his way as soon as he left Marik’s but Ryou failed to respond. This was going to be their first Christmas alone since both of their parents had decided to stay back in England managing their businesses. The original plan was to have both him and Ryou fly out and spend the holidays with them. Bakura told them that he wasn’t able to get enough days off for work. 

The reality was that he had forgotten to put in the request before the deadline. 

He was completely fine with the idea of spending the holidays alone. He was even looking forward to it. However, that dream went up in smoke the moment his twin brother caught wind of the situation. Not wanting to let his brother spend the holidays alone, Ryou decided to stay behind, much to Bakura’s gripe. 

Ryou loved Christmas so much that Bakura used to threaten to ship him to the North Pole when they were both much younger. However, he was the exact opposite. Christmas was too much a joyous season for a time where all he really wanted to do was to continue being his grim self. Having his brother around meant that Bakura actually had to put in an effort to make this holiday shine. Ryou was quiet but when things didn’t go his way, Bakura knew firsthand that he would make sure that he was the loudest in the room.

He noticed the glaring scowl as soon as he stepped out of the cab. The gaze never left his body as he drew closer. Once he was close enough to breathe in the same air that his brother was, Ryou rolled his eyes and walked inside. Bakura sighed and jogged in after him, slowing down to a walk once he got to his side.

“Sorry, I got held up at work.” Bakura stated, attempting to get Ryou to say something to him. _Anything_.

Ryou stopped walking and turned to face him. He sighed and shook his head. “Your shirt is inside out, Kura.” Bakura immediately looked down at his shirt, confusion clouding his face. “It’s just annoying. You can never find the time to be there for me and my interests but you’re always available to get some ass.”

The accused twin scoffed and looked back at his other half. “You’re the one to talk.”

“Kura, that was one time!” Ryou exclaimed, his arms flying out to both of his sides. 

Bakura shook his head and continued walking in the direction they were originally heading, wanting to get over the conversation. “Whatever. What tree did you want?”

He heard light jogging that slowed down once it got to his side. They both remained silent as they walked down the various aisles. Bakura had half expected an answer but he knew better. He couldn’t doubt that he and Ryou had a bond that no one else had. There were a lot of things that they let go unsaid simply because the other knew that the answer was. Being a twin was one of the things he secretly loved. Ryou didn’t know what tree he wanted but they both would know once they came across it. They walked through what seemed like a million aisles before he saw it. As soon as he did, he knew his brother’s face light up from the corner of his eyes. He turned to his side to see Ryou beaming back at him. 

“So, is this the one, Ry?”

Ryou nodded and proceeded to go fetch an associate to help them get the tree out. Bakura stayed behind looking at the tree, lost in thought. The reality that this would be his and Ryou’s first Christmas together finally sinking in. It wasn’t that he wasn’t excited about it; he absolutely loved his brother and wouldn’t hesitate to choose him over the rest of his family, if need be. He watched as a drop of dew slipped down one of the branches and onto the one directly below. 

His brother just had very high expectations for the holidays. Expectations that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to exceed, let alone meet. 

________________________________

  
“Pass me that box next to you, Kura.”

Bakura glanced at the box of assorted ornaments next to him as he reached out to grab it and pass it back to Ryou. They were seated in their living room, boxes of decorations surrounding both of them. Ryou was in charge of placing the ornaments in their respective places on the tree. Meanwhile, Bakura was handing him whatever he needed.

“To the left, Ry.”

As well as adding commentary where it wasn’t needed.

Ryou rolled his eyes and moved the red bulb further left on the tree. “Here?” A reassuring grunt behind him let him know that it was fine. He picked up the tangled lights from another box beside him and started to detangle them. He glanced over at his brother, who was currently browsing through something on his phone. 

“Kura?” Bakura lazily glanced up from his phone, his eyes being the only thing that moved. “What do you say we spend Christmas with the gang?” His brother raised a brow at the question, not following. “You know…the gang.” Ryou hesitantly exclaimed as he carefully watched his brother’s reaction.

Bakura wasn’t the biggest fan of Ryou’s friends, or the ‘Nerd Herd’ as he called them. He knew that his brother would rather watch grass grow in the dead of winter but he wasn’t going to let that be an option. At least not this year. He watched as his brother slowly raised his head and eyed him suspiciously.

“Why?” Bakura slowly asked as Ryou internally grimaced. His eyes shifted back to the tangle of lights that he was further tangling in his hands. 

The thing was that Bakura knew or at least, he hoped his brother _knew_. Ryou and Tea had been dating for a few years now. They had their share of ups and downs like any couple had but they always managed to stand strong throughout it all. Now that they were both in their early 30’s, he figured he would stop dragging his feet on this. This year he opted would be the year; the year in which he would finally ask her if she wanted to be his for the rest of their lives.

“I’m uh…” Ryou struggled, still fidgeting with the bundle of lights. His eyes involuntary shifted back to his brother’s for a split second. Unfortunately, it was long enough for for him to see the concern laced in his brother’s gaze. He sighed and pulled a box out of his jeans pocket. It was now or never.

“I’m thinking of asking Tea to marry me.”

A multitude of emotions flashed across his brother’s eyes, Ryou regretted that he couldn’t identify any of them long enough to latch onto them. The silence between both of them stretched for what seemed like a multitude. Ryou nervously attempted to fill it.

“We don’t have to stay long! I just wanted to do the friend’s dinner and Secret Santa at her place.” He paused, trying to give his brother a chance to respond. His brother, who still sported an unreadable expression. “I was thinking we’d still do our gift and movie tradition back here.” Ryou’s voice trailed off as he waited for Bakura to say something. _Anything_.

Bakura furrowed his brows, the first action that he had done in what felt like forever. “We?” Ryou tilted his head, confusion laced in his entire demeanor. “We’d still do our gift and movie tradition. Who’s ‘ _we_ ’?”

Ryou bit his lip, not knowing why he was this nervous. He knew that Bakura wasn’t too fond of Tea. His hesitation in responding wasn’t helping the situation, either. What was really bugging him was this feeling; he had never been afraid to tell his brother anything. He should have tried harder to mend the relationship between Tea and Bakura. Why hadn’t he thought to do that before now? He needed to salvage this. Say something. 

Unfortunately for him, this was one of those moments where he didn’t need to say anything. His brother knew.

The only words that he heard next were: “Fuck this”. Ryou’s eyes were downcast, staring at the ground, his hands tightening around the bundle of lights in his hand, the ring box in the mess of it all. He heard the shuffling of feet and the door to their apartment slamming shut. 

Ryou fell to the floor moments after, tears streaming down his face. Part of him wishing that he had never brought any of this up. 

All of him second guessing this big decision that he was about to make.


	2. December 2nd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are going to see a couple of more familiar faces in this chapter. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

“Quit shoving me, Tristan!”

“I just want to make sure that you’re folding the names up evenly.”

“I am!” Tea seethed as she glared at the brunet next to her. 

Ryou laughed as he watched them both from the kitchen. He was helping Serenity prepare hot chocolate for the group. He had already helped to place the various snacks on the table. 

Tea’s apartment was heavily decorated. Various shades of red, green, and gold lined her door sills and windows. The main focal point of her entire place was the massive tree that sat in the corner of her living room. She had decided to go with a blue and silver color pattern for her tree decorations; the colors being muted enough to not contrast heavily against the decorations in the room surrounding it.

“Does anyone want to call my brother. Or even Yugi? They should have been here already.” Serenity mentioned as she walked into the living room with a tray full of assorted mugs, each filled to the brim with steaming hot chocolate.

“Joey had texted me saying he was going to be a bit late,” Tristan pipped in as he grabbed a mug from the tray that Serenity set on the coffee table before him. “I didn’t ask him about Yugi, though.” Tea frowned at the revelation.

“Tris…”

The brunet looked at her mid-sip, realizing almost immediately what she was insinuating. He abruptly pulled the cup from his lips, dripping some of the hot chocolate on himself. “Shit!” He exclaimed, both for how hot the drink was and the realization that hit him. “This is the first year without Grandpa, isn’t it?”

Tea sighed as she pulled out her phone, searching for Yugi’s number. “Yes, Tristan. God, how can you be so forgetful?”

The others in the room frowned. Serenity took this as a sign to speak up, “He’ll be here! I’m sure that if he was feeling a certain way about this, he’d let us know.”

Ryou shook his head, voicing what both Tea and Tristan already knew. “That’s the problem. Even if he was struggling, Yugi would never let us know.” 

“But, don’t him and Joey live together? I’m sure Joey would have said something if he wasn’t doing so good.” Tristan looked around to everyone for reassurance but everyone exchanged unsure glances.

A sigh turned everyone’s focus back to Tea. “He’s not picking up.” She stated softly as she removed the phone from her ear and resolved to text him instead.

Knocking at the door startled everyone from their thoughts, leaving them all temporarily unsure of what to do. Snapping out of the trance, Ryou made his way to open the door. 

The two men on the other side of the door quickly composed themselves and smiled back at Ryou, who in turn raised a brow. They both had looked like they were bickering in hushed voices. Before Ryou could make to question it further, the blond made his way through the door. 

“The party’s here!”

“Joey!” Serenity ran into her brother’s arms as he wrapped his arms around her tight.

A shorter male made his way in the room behind him, resulting in smiles across the faces of the other two in the room. 

“Yugi! You made it.” Tea exclaimed as she jumped up and made her way to hug the male. 

“Hey Yug!” Tristan got up, ready to greet him as well.

Yugi returned the embrace then made his way over to greet Tristan, Serenity, and lastly Ryou who was still standing by the entrance. Joey followed suit. “Sorry, we’re late guys. Joey and I didn’t coordinate our meet-up times very well.”

“Don’t worry, Yugi! We’re just glad you guys were able to make it.” Tea smiled as she held the basket containing all of the names. She took a seat before she lightly shook the basket, turning to face the rest of the room. “So do we want to draw our Secret Santa first before we dive into the rest of the night?”

Joey ran over and threw himself on the couch next to Tea, nearly causing her to bounce off of her seat. Tea glared daggers at him as he promptly grabbed the basket from her hands. “Let’s draw these names! C’mon everyone, ya know the drill!” 

The others chuckled as they all took seats around the coffee table; Ryou sat on the couch on the other side of Tea, Serenity found a seat on the armrest on the love seat beside Tristan, and Yugi sat on the floor in-between both couches. Both Ryou and Tristan on either side of him.

The blond started shaking the basket again before Tristan pipped up. “Hey Jo, why don’t you ever bring your boyfriend around? You’ve been dating him for a year now, right?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about him,” Ryou added. “Why is he such a mystery?”

Yugi watched as Joey grimaced but recovered quickly before anyone else could notice. “Ah, he’s always working.”

“You should check and see if he’ll be available for our Christmas party!” Serenity exclaimed as she snuggled closer to Tristan. “It’ll be the perfect time to finally get to meet him!”

“Yeah, I’ll check.” Joey all but groaned as he shook the basket a bit slower in an attempt to mix up all of the names.

“You should probably check harder.” Tea piped up, “I know how far you’ll go to avoid this.”

“It’s going to be tough,” Yugi jumped in, looking to save his friend while making sure to avoid eye contact with anyone in particular. “He travels a lot. I know it probably means more to them to be able to spend the time that they do have, with each other.”

Joey locked eyes with Yugi and gave him a small smile, which Yugi returned ten-fold.

“Are we going to find out who we got or not?” Yugi asked, hoping that the change of subject was subtle enough to not warrant any suspicion.

“Yeah, yeah.” Joey replied as he finally stopped stirring the basket and dug his hand in to pick out one folded up strip. He passed the basket to Tea, who did the same and then passed it over to Ryou. Once the basket got to Serenity, she placed the basket on the table and held her folded up strip of paper. 

“Okay guys, on the count of three, we all have to open up our strips. One…two…”

The whole gang opened their respective strips almost simultaneously. Ryou glanced at Yugi and noticed how he smirked and promptly pocketed the strip of paper. 

“Is everybody good? No one got themselves, right?” Everyone in the room nodded in Tea’s direction. “Great! Now let’s move on to the fun!”

______________________________________

  
Snow-covered rooftops adorned much of the skyline, obscuring much of what Yugi would normally be able to see standing from Tea’s balcony. The air was chill but comfortable enough to stand in without a coat on. He was leaning against the railing with his arms rested on the beam, his hands hanging lazily over. He took a sip of the liquid in his red plastic cup as he continued staring out into the vast expanse. The music from the living room drowning out in the background.

“Mind if I join you?”

Yugi glanced to his right to notice Tea standing a few inches away from him. He shrugged and continued looking out into the city.

“How are you doing?”

He sighed. She wasn’t asking just to make conversation. There was intent behind her question; the same intent that everyone around him had the past few months. Tiptoeing around the direct question that would have resulted in an actual answer. An answer he couldn’t hide behind.

“I’m doing okay. How-”

“Are you sure?” Tea asked, not letting him get his question out. He looked to her, surprised at the interruption.

“I’m sure, Tea.” A lie. “You don’t have to worry.”

He let Tea scrutinize his face until she found whatever answer she was looking for. He learned that this was easier than actually trying to fight anyone reaching out to help. 

The truth was that he really was fine. Definitely not okay but fine, just fine. On the spectrum from terrible to amazing, fine sat just above mediocre but below okay.

Always below okay.

She looked away, out to the snow covered rooftops, so he followed her lead. “How are you guys doing?” He asked, trying to fill the void.

“Ryou and I? We’re good. Things have been great.”

“That’s good.” 

They both stood there in silence. Shifting his gaze down to his cup, Yugi swirled the liquid, wondering whether or not he should bring up the question. The company was nice, but part of him was hoping to have this moment alone. Hoping for some clarity.

“Have you tried talking to him?” He could feel her eyes on him now, begging him to turn around. He didn’t. She looked away.

“No…I haven’t. Ryou doesn’t bring him up anymore.” She paused and sighed. Yugi felt her shift against the railing. “It’s frustrating to know that someone hates me as much as he does.”

“Imagine how Ryou feels.” The comment slipped before Yugi had a chance to catch it. He immediately turned to face Tea, who was now looking back at him, broken.

“I know, Yugi.” 

He looked away from her, back out over the expanse. It suddenly seemed too empty. “I’m sorry.” He said, feeling small.

“It’s fine.” Tea muttered back before turning around and heading back inside. 

Yeah…it was all too empty.


	3. December 3rd

A jarring noise sounded about in Yugi’s room. He instinctively reached out and slammed his hand on top of the device next to his bed, silencing it. He opened his eyes slowly, watching as the light dimly shone through the open gaps from under his pillow. He lifted the pillow off of his head and knelt upright on his bed. His eyes blinking a few times in order to clear up.

He stretched his arms and glared at the light filtering in through the windows, the shimmering rays seeming extra bright due to the reflection of the sun rays on the snow. He really needed to get blackout curtains.

Groggily, he swung both legs off of the bed, rubbing his eyes as he made his way out of his room. The humming sound of the refrigerator reminding him just how alone he really was. He made his way to the refrigerator and opened the door to pull out orange juice. As he closed the door, the sight of a person standing on the other side of the kitchen island caused him to jump out of his skin, jolting him from his actions, resulting in him dropping the gallon in surprise. 

“Fucking hell, Joey!” He placed a hand over his heart and picked up the fallen gallon. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Joey smirked looking at the half dressed image of his fellow friend and roommate. “It’s nice ta know that you just walk around without a shirt on.” The shorter male glared back at him but then shifted his eyes to Joey’s opened door. The blond sighed. “He’s not here, it’s just me.”

Yugi raised a brow at the remark as he made his way to the cupboard to fetch a cup. “I know you live here but this is the first time you’ve done this in a while.”

“Don’t remind me.” The blond groaned as he threw himself onto the couch in a dramatic fashion just a few feet away. 

Yugi soon joined him by sitting on the love seat next to him. Grabbing a pillow, he hugged it against his bare chest in an attempt to avoid having to go grab a shirt. He examined the man laying on the couch next to him, his arm covering his eyes. 

He didn’t know where to begin. Things were great between them before things had started going south. Shortly after Grandpa had died, Yugi had closed himself off. Joey still made sure to make a conscious effort to try and pull him out of that slump. However, when Joey started facing relationship issues of his own shortly after, Yugi found himself trying doubly hard to not only keep himself afloat but to help out his friend as well. Neither side knowing that this was causing them both to drown faster in their despair.

Eventually both sides stopped trying. They both had unknowingly set an unspoken agreement, one where they wouldn’t dive too deep into each other’s lives. They were still best friends turned brothers. But part of Yugi knew that unless Joey let him in, he couldn’t help him. Unless they _both_ let the other in, they were doomed to their own demons.

“How’s he doing?” He hesitantly asked as he tugged at a frayed string on the pillow. Joey shifted under his arm, causing Yugi to wonder if he had heard him or not. After some time, he heard the sigh as the blond sat up on the couch. Hanging his head over his knee. 

“He’s being the usual, pain in my ass Kaiba.”

Yugi failed to hold back a smile, “I recall you saying that was one of the many traits that you loved about him.”

“Yug -”

The shorter male looked at Joey, his face shifting to concern. There was a lot that was unsaid in the tone that he used to say his name. It was heavy against the usual cheer that Joey had used to intone. 

“I’m tired of trying to reason with him.” Joey said in a voice so low that Yugi didn’t realize that he was straining to hear.

“But Joey, don’t you love him?”

“Yeah, but-”

“Love doesn’t give up, Jo.” 

Joey stared at an open spot on the far wall, deep in thought. So deep that Yugi followed his line of sight a few times to try and see what was so interesting about it. This is where it would end, usually. Joey skimming the surface and Yugi wanting to find out more. 

Their whole situation was weird. He knew that Joey was dating Kaiba. What he didn’t know was why he was the only one who knew. He thought back to one of the last real conversations that he had with the blond. The one in which he asked him why was it worth being in a relationship with someone if you have to constantly question _why_ you’re in a relationship with them.

He had thought a lot about that confrontation in the weeks since; nothing about how it ended ever sitting right with him. He wondered if Joey ever considered it a genuine question and not a malicious attack like he made it out to believe. 

Yugi sighed and bit his lip, wondering if he should question it further. “I was going to go shopping with Ryou. Did you want to come with us?”

“No, I’m fine. Have fun.” Joey stated in a dismissive way, causing Yugi to frown. “Tell Ry I said hi.”

“I will.” 

The shorter male watched as his friend got up from the couch and all but dragged himself back into his bedroom, not really caring for his response. Yugi stared after him, wanting so much more than to continue being a bystander in his own life.

Hearing Joey’s door close hit Yugi deeply; it felt like a stark representation of what their friendship had become. His thoughts drifted back to the day prior, when they both had arrived at Tea’s party a lot later than either of them had intended.

_Yug, I told ya to meet me here at 4._

He recalled how annoyed the blond had been as he scolded him in the lowest voice that he’d ever heard come from Joey Wheeler. Having drastically overslept, he had arrived there an hour and twenty-three minutes after the fact. If it was any indication from the endless calls and texts all but cursing him out, he knew the blond was in no mood to be rational.

_It’s fine, Jo. We’ll just tell them we miscommunicated the time._

_We? Yug, I’m tired of always being the fucking responsible one!_

Yugi’s hands angrily pulled at another frayed string on the pillow. The blond was lucky that Ryou had opened the door when he did. However, as much as Yugi wanted to, they both never had a chance to broach the subject for the rest of the night. Joey had claimed he was heading out to another friend’s party leaving Yugi to head back home alone.

Which he preferred, anyway.

Yugi walked back into his too bright room, wanting very badly to relocate his bed to his closet. He was tired of his surroundings not reflecting his mood. He wanted everything to match how he felt on the inside: messy, dark, and alone. But he also desperately wanted to feel like himself again.

He wasn’t too sure which one of those feelings outweighed the other.

Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he made a mental note of how long he needed to get ready. Ryou wasn’t like everyone else. He would ask direct questions, knowing that was what it would take for him to get the answers he needed. Yugi both admired and despised that quality.

Walking into the adjoining bathroom connected to his room, he braced the sink and took in a deep breath. He splashed water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror hanging on the wall before him. He squinted at his reflection, barely unable to recognize the man before him.  
  
Was this okay?

He splashed more water on his face, hoping the water would wash away the dread that he felt. His grandfather had died eleven months prior on this very day; that very fact weighed on him heavily. If he was going to meet with Ryou he needed to be functional to some extent. 

His fingers drummed along the sides of the sink, fighting the urge to crawl back under the covers and avoid reality. 

Just like he’s done the past few months.

After his grandfather’s death, he decided to sell the Kame Game Shop. He was thankful that he made enough from the sale to support him during this period. But he couldn’t ignore the days where he missed it all. Missed waking up and heading down the stairs to see Grandpa making breakfast, asking him if he wanted any. He would always say no but it never mattered. Grandpa always had a mug prepared for him filled with the best hot tea he’s ever had and a side of toast. Every single morning. 

He missed the random encounters and the life lessons that he would impart on Yugi. He sadly chuckled to himself remembering vividly how they all stemmed from some adventure that he had gone on. He missed the mini challenges and games that he would give to Yugi in order to help the slow days go by a bit faster. He gripped the sides of the sink wishing those days would have went by just a little bit slower, instead.

Day after day he found himself struggling to keep the thoughts alive, clinging to the memories of his grandfather’s voice and the last embrace that they shared. 

Grasping to remember the last time they spoke, the last words they exchanged. Thinking to the time they said good bye, did he ever think that would be the final time?

Fighting, with everything left inside of him, to remember the last time that he told him he loved him. 

His gaze traveled back to his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and his face a bit more swollen than normal. Blinking back some tears, he wiped the rest with the back of his hand. This was the image that he was familiar with. 

_________

  
Ryou ran down the street, huffing as various faces rushed past him. He understood the meaning of bundling up in the winter but he could use ten pounds less of all of the clothing that he had on at the moment. 

He was very late meeting Yugi. Since the night of the Secret Santa exchange, he had been looking forward to speak with Yugi without everyone else being around. He shook his head and with it the feeling of helplessness that he had when he noticed Tea sitting in the kitchen, alone. Not wanting to interact with anyone at all. Just a few minutes before that, he had noticed her coming back in from standing on the balcony. Clearly, something had gone awry between them.

He hadn’t paid any mind to the ring in days. Come to think of it, he also hadn’t seen his brother since the day that he glamorously walked out. He was spending his time trying to focus on other things, mainly trying to get through this holiday season without punching a hole in a wall. 

Rounding a corner, he braced his footing, trying to avoid a slip on the black ice that he had hit. He started wondering about their parents. How were they doing through all this? How about Amane, their sister? Was she enjoying holidays with just their family? Of course, Ryou elected to stay and spend the holidays with his brother, but part of him was slowly regretting that decision.

His mind shifted focus, recalling a time of turmoil; recalling the fight that Bakura and Tea had. He couldn’t deny that part of him still held resentment towards his brother over what had happened. He loves Bakura more than anyone. At the end of the day, he is in the most literal sense, his other half. But he couldn’t understand why he would come in the way of his relationship like this.

Why he would intentionally seek to hurt the woman he loved?

He abruptly stopped and doubled over, huffing to get air into his depleted lungs. He looked up at the street sign a few feet away from him. Just two more blocks. 

Each breath that he took in sounded harsher than the last, but somehow each breath didn’t give him a chance to shake the same, echoing thought. _Bakura_.

Where was he? He was probably shacking it up at a friends house. Ryou grimaced, trying to think. Did his brother have any friends? He took out his phone and went to their last text exchange, the events from the day they went tree shopping staring right back at him.

He never did respond to Bakura’s texts.

His fingers hovered over the screen, debating whether or not he should send him a text. God, why was Bakura so infuriating? He groaned and put his phone back in his pocket. He’d come home eventually. 

He had to.

Taking a few steps, he found that he couldn’t ignore the feeling nagging at him any longer. He took his phone back out and pulled up their last text conversation. 

_Can we talk?_

He hung around waiting for a response from his brother. The little note under his message never changing to ‘read’ further sank in his heart. Whatever. He pocketed his phone again, trying to force the thoughts from his head. His brother was fine, he’d get back to him eventually. He rolled his eyes as he waited for the light to change at the intersection.

He was probably off fucking some guy, anyway.

As he crossed, he noticed a man in an orange puff jacket and a purple beanie leaning against the wall of the building at the corner of the street, dozens of people walking past him.

“Yugi!” Ryou waved as he ran towards and captured the attention of the man in orange. 

Violet eyes smiled back warmly at him. “Hey! About time!” Yugi exclaimed as soon as Ryou was close. “It took you long enough.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Ryou scratched the back of his head. “I lost track of time. Do you still have time to hang out? I can cut some stores out if anything.”

Yugi gestured to the area in front of them. “Lead the way.”

They both walked in and out of various crowds, streets, and stores; Ryou being the one to pick out a couple of items for his family and his Secret Santa. Except for the occasional instances where Yugi offered his opinion, Ryou often forgot that he was there. They both mostly walked in silence, which was very unlike Yugi. He always had something to talk about, something important that needed to be brought to light. 

He occasionally glanced to his side only to notice that Yugi’s gaze was distant, definitely thinking about something other than where they currently were. His stomach suddenly grumbled causing him to wonder when was the last time that he ate. “Hey, Yug - do you want to stop and grab a bite somewhere?” 

The shorter male shrugged and looked back at Ryou. “What are you in the mood for?”

Ryou looked around, trying to see what was easily accessible to them. His eyes stopped at an establishment across the street that they all used to venture back in high school. “How about burgers?”

He saw a flash in Yugi’s eyes that disappeared as quickly as it came. He looked cautious, as if he were debating what other options he had. Ryou frowned and opened his mouth to speak.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Yugi stated with a smile before Ryou was able to make a move. 

They both crossed the street and ventured into the burger spot. The restaurant was buzzing with energy for a late Thursday afternoon. Ryou walked them both to a booth in the back half of the restaurant. Coincidentally, it was also the same booth that they would all hang around in high school.

Ryou slid into one side of the booth and watched Yugi do the same on the opposite side; watching on as he took his coat and the purple beanie off causing his crazy hair to spring to life. A waitress immediately arrived at their table to take their orders. After she left, Ryou turned back to the shorter male, who was looking out of the window lost in thought.

“What’s on your mind?”

Yugi perked up and glanced back at Ryou. “Nothing.” He answered quickly and started fiddling with his fingers on the table. “I…was just thinking of what to get Joey.”

“Ah, so he’s who you got?”

Yugi nodded and continued fiddling with his fingers before suddenly slamming them flat on the table. Ryou squinted at the action. There was something else.

“What are your options so far?”

“I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“Well, what have you thought about?” Yugi’s eyes fell on him, guarded. Ryou could see the endless thoughts that were running through his head. He could see that Yugi was struggling with which response would make him move past this. Not getting an answer, Ryou dug in his pocket and pulled out a small box. Yugi’s eyes went wide. 

“Ry…”

The white haired male chuckled. “I’m planning on asking her the day of the Christmas party.” He stated sadly. His chocolate eyes looked back to meet Yugi’s violet.

“There’s a ‘but’ there.”

“I wanted my family to be there.”

Yugi pursed his lips and looked back out of the window. “So, I’m guessing Bakura didn’t take it well?”

“That would be putting it lightly.” Ryou watched as Yugi drummed his fingers on the table. He sighed and looked back at Ryou.

“I think you guys need to talk-”

“I know. I texted him and-”

“No.” Yugi stopped drumming and looked back at Ryou. “You, Bakura, and Tea need to all talk about this.”

Ryou nodded and played with the ring box in his hand. “They definitely need to settle their differences.” His fingers fiddled with the lid, opening and closing it a few times. “What did you and Tea talk about the other day?”

His gaze traveled back to Yugi’s face, who was looking back at him through squinted eyes. “You’ll need to ask her, it’s really not my place to say.”

“Yugi.” Ryou sighed as he wiped a hand on his face in frustration. “You know that she reaches out because she cares, right? We all do. All you ever seem to do is push us away.”

Yugi raised a brow, “I’m fine, Ryou.”

“You’re not and I think that deep down you know that.”

Violet eyes faltered before Yugi opened his mouth to respond only to stop abruptly. They both looked up at the waitress who had reappeared with their orders in hand. She was placing the plates down so Ryou took this chance to look back at Yugi. The shorter male looked eager for her to leave so that he could retort. 

And that was exactly the case.

“What exactly do you want me to say, Ry?” Yugi retorted sternly. “It’s not like I’m bothering any of you guys with this.”

“We wish you would!” Ryou replied with equal fervor. “We wish we knew exactly what _this_ was, Yugi. This isn’t for you to battle on your own.” He sighed as he watched the shorter male pensively looked down at his food. “Can you at least tell me what happened with Duke?”

Yugi stifled a snort and glanced back at him. “We broke up.”

“Yeah, you told us that but never the cause.”

“We just decided it wasn’t worth it.” The shorter male dismissively stated as he picked up a fry and twirled it on the plate in front of him. Ryou frowned.

“You need to step out of your shell, Yugi.” He felt a pang of regret as soon as the words left his mouth. The shorter male instantly froze and dropped the fry that he was playing with. “You need to move past what happened. You can’t continue dwelling on the past.”

Silence stretched between both of them for what felt like an eternity. Ryou continued looking at Yugi, concern etched over his features. His mind drifted back to the conversation that he had with Tea recently. The one where she had let him know about the breakup.

The one where she told him how worried she was because he became more of a recluse than he normally was.

Unfortunately, no one had been able to get in touch with Duke since. He sighed, part of him frustrated over the situation. Yugi was hard to get through, especially when he needed help. He really hoped that this conversation was helping the other understand that they were all here for him. Yugi finally picked up another fry.

“Right.” Yugi mumbled low before looking up at Ryou. “You’re right.”

“We’re just trying to look out for you.” Ryou reassured with a smile, which Yugi returned. “Let’s eat!”

He really hoped he was getting through to him.


	4. December 4th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of Yugi's half birthday, I present y'all this chapter! (because half birthdays totally count)
> 
> This chapter was heavily inspired by the song Everything's Magic by Angels and Airwaves. If you've never heard it, I highly recommend you give it a listen. It's a bit more upbeat than what we've seen so far for Yugi but maybe this is a turning point?
> 
> As always, I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

“Another Jack and ginger please.”

“You got it!”

Yugi yawned, having just woke up a little while ago, he figured his best course of action was to start his first meal of the day at a bar. His finger circled the mouth of the empty glass in front of him, thinking back to what Ryou had told him the day before. He had to admit, it sucked seeing everyone around him move on and feeling as if he was being left behind. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for he friends; he was! It was just… He sighed as he opened his phone to find that he had no notifications.

It sucked being the odd one out. He felt as if he were stuck in limbo, incapable of moving forward but unable to go back.

The bar was very packed as could be expected on a Friday night. Various decorations seemed to line every corner of the building down to the very stool that he was sitting on. He glanced around, hearing the shrill laughs and the jests from groups around him, everyone having a fun time with drinks in hand. 

“Here ya go.” Yugi turned around to face the blond bartender that had been attending him all night. A new cup of liquid replacing the empty one that was in front of him earlier. “Want me to just add it to your tab?”

Yugi gave a slight nod as the blond softly smiled and went back to tending to the other customers. He took a sip of his drink, missing the banter that they had before so many customers showed up. It was nice to have someone to talk to who didn’t know his whole back story. Someone who didn’t have a need to want to fix him in some way. His finger found it’s way back to the rim of the glass in front of him.

Holidays just weren’t the same since Grandpa Motou had passed. Part of Yugi just wanted to sleep throughout them all, but that was really hard to do with the friends that he had. He was tired of the fake cheer, the fake admiration for everything this year has brought him. What good had this year brought him, anyway?

Something suddenly bumped into him on his right, jolting him from his thoughts. 

“Sorry,” a chuckle, “there’s too many people here.”

“You’re fine.” Yugi stated as he examined the man next to him. His staggeringly sharp, crimson eyes were the first thing that caught his attention, however apologetic they were. His black hair was sleeked back into a ponytail, the tips dyed an equal shade of red. Blond bangs framed the front of his face in a messy way, but it seemed to suit his face very well. His breath caught in his throat as he turned back to his drink, his fingers struggling to trace the top of the rim. He fought hard to stop the blush from rushing to his face. 

His eyes stole a glance back at the man next to him, who was currently trying to get the attention of a bartender. He looked like he walked straight out of a magazine. He was wearing a black business suit that was neatly pressed in all of the right places. Yugi’s eyes started traveling down this stranger’s back, trying to check out - 

“Hey, Marik!”

Yugi’s gaze snapped back to his cup. Was this guy from around here? Why hadn’t he seen him before? Though he was at this bar often, part of him scolded the thought. Great, Yugi, you’re making yourself seem like an alcoholic. 

Let’s try and think positively, how many people did Yugi really know after all? Of course this stranger know the bartender; why wouldn’t he? This was a pretty big city; Yugi struggled as he tried to remember what the rules were for six degrees of separation. He tapped his fingers on the sides of his glass, trying to focus on not looking back at the man next to him. 

His scent was intoxicating. Fuck, how much alcohol had he had tonight? It was taking everything that he had in him not to stare. There were too many thoughts racing through his mind, his heart feeling much louder than normal. Part of him wanted to get up and leave but the other part… 

_You need to step out of your shell, Yugi._

He took a big sip of his drink, fighting the feeling of claustrophobia that was washing over him. There were suddenly way too many people in this establishment.

But why this stranger? There was something about him that was drawing Yugi in. Something captivating him, driving him absolutely wild. Internally, Yugi shook his head and grimaced. His fingers continued tapping the sides of his glass. Why was he entertaining this idea and getting his hopes up? He opened his phone again, hoping to look busy. As soon as he unlocked his phone, he turned it around and shut it again. He needed to stop trying to escape from life; stop trying to run away from his reality.

This wasn’t like him. Why was he letting what Ryou said get to him? Yes, maybe he did need to get out there again but was this really the way? He took another peek at the man beside him.

Only to notice the same man was looking back him and smirking.

A slew of emotions and thoughts ran through Yugi. The first being the very strong hope that the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

“Hi, I’m Atem.” The caramel-skinned stranger extended his hand in Yugi’s direction. Yugi’s breath caught in his throat.

“Hi.” Yugi stated as he extended his own hand and shook the one that was offered.

Atem raised a brow at the response but shook the hand anyway. “Your name?”

“Ah.” Yugi mentally smacked himself. Yeah ground, anytime now would be nice. “I’m Yugi.”

The face smiled back and snickered as he looked away and then back at him, “Can I assume that’s your real name and not a fake one that you’re giving me?”

Yugi bit his lip and smiled. “Of course.” Why was he such a bad flirt?

Atem licked his lips before glancing back in the direction of the busy bartenders. “So what brings you here?”

The shorter male hesitated and looked away, trying to think of a good line to continue his streak of attempted flirting. He almost instantly turned back so as to not cause any suspicion. “I’m, you know, just hanging.”

He internally grimaced when he noticed how Atem narrowed his eyes at that response. He looked back at him, that playful look was still plastered on his face. It all looked so natural. “Just hanging?”

Yugi nodded and swallowed hard, his throat felt really dry. He looked to his cup and noticed it was empty again.

“Well, do you mind if I join you?”

Yugi found himself nodding through no force of his own, trying to let the liquid courage act on his behalf. He gestured to the seat beside him. The same seat that he’d been hiding by putting his coat over it and telling people it was reserved all night so far. 

Atem pulled the stool out and seated himself on it. Yugi glanced at the male only to notice that he was still looking back at him, curiously. The sound of glasses hitting the table caused them both to look back at the bar top to find Marik smiling at them both.

“Here’s a refill, on the house.”

Yugi squinted at his glass and then back at the blond, who winked at him before walking away. Atem grabbed his glass and held it out to Yugi. “Cheers to new friendships?”

_Friendships_. “Yeah.” Yugi grabbed his and clinked it against the Atem’s before taking a big swig from it.

“Wow, you don’t waste any time, do you?”

“Sips don’t hit fast enough.” The shorter male blurted before realizing what he said. The laughter beside him caused him to look over.

“I know I’m bad but I don’t usually hear that until after the first date.”

“Ah, well I don’t really do dates.” Yugi immediately internally cringed. What the hell did he just say? “I mean, I don’t do anything serious.” He tried to instantly correct as Atem looked back at him with a brow raised. 

Fuck.

“You don’t? So what do you do?”

Yugi downed the remainder of his drink as one would a shot. His eyes happened to glance over and meet the eyes of a certain bartender who had a smirk plastered over his face. 

_You can’t continue dwelling on the past._

He turned to Atem abruptly and immediately felt a wave of warmth wash over him. “Do you wanna fuck?”

_____________

They both stumbled into his apartment, a mess of arms and limbs grabbing at each other. Yugi haphazardly threw his keys and coat beside him, hoping that it landed on the kitchen counter, or safely on top of something in whatever room it was that they had just walked into. His mind was a drunken haze, his hormones coursing through his body setting every one of his nerve endings on fire. 

He felt Atem’s hand snake under his shirt, each finger leaving behind tiny pools of warmth on his cool skin. Yugi broke the kiss to take a breath, part of him expecting the other to stop as well.

But that wasn’t the case. 

Atem’s mouth traveled to his side, leaving a trail of kisses from his ear down to his collarbone. He felt the fingers from before travel down to rest on his lower back. He wrapped his arms around Atem’s neck and buried his face into the base of his neck, trying to suppress a moan that was dying to escape. This all felt good. _Atem_ felt too good. 

Yugi’s fingers made their way up into the hair above the nape of Atem’s neck, taking his hair elastic off in the process. He heard the other lightly moan against his skin, the sound further fueling his drunken stupor. Feeling Atem lift him off of the ground, Yugi wrapped his legs around him, his arms tightening around the other’s neck. Warm, wet lips eagerly sought out his again and captured them in a hungry, lustful kiss. For a moment, the shorter male was happy his feet weren’t on the ground because he didn’t think he’d be able to keep standing.

The kiss pushed him further into his euphoric haze; the pressure in his pants was becoming too much to bear. He needed the man in front on him, badly. He felt himself being lowered onto a soft surface. He freed one of his hands to push back on the headboard above him only to find that it felt flimsier.

With more fabric?

Breaking the kiss, his eyes fluttered open and he looked around. They were both in the living room; currently on the bigger of the two couches. He slowly propped himself up on his elbows only to be pushed back into the couch cushion by the same warm lips against his. He closed his eyes, feeling the other shift in between his legs, fiddling with the button and zipper on his pants. His arms instinctively traveled to Atem’s torso, undoing the buttons and letting his hands lightly travel over the chiseled chest. Atem grabbed both of Yugi’s hands and pinned them above his head.

“You love to explore, don’t you?” Atem muttered in his ear, his lips close enough to brush against them, his hot breath sending shivers down Yugi’s spine. How he wished he could feel his breath closer to another region much, much lower.

“What are you going to do about that?” Yugi breathed, hoping that by talking, he’d be able to suppress the sounds of pleasure in his throat. Atem pulled back to look into the shorter male’s violet eyes. Yugi arched his back and brushed the lower half of his body against Atem. He cursed the pants that were still on his body as they were the only barrier between him and the gorgeous man seated between them. Atem smirked back at him, his crimson eyes clouded with lust. Yugi could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. How could a simple smirk unravel him so much? 

Keeping Yugi’s hands pinned, Atem slid his other hand under Yugi’s waistband, gently toying with the fabric. The shorter male stiffened and his legs instinctively opened a bit wider. Atem chuckled as he returned to Yugi’s collarbone, lightly sucking and biting on the skin at the base of his neck. 

Yugi arched his body in absolute pleasure. His senses were on overload. His mind was still a foggy haze of liquor and desire, but he couldn’t ignore the ache that ignited within him, the fire running rampant. His hips bucked forward only to be held tightly in place by Atem. 

Atem.

The very man who just tightened his grip on his wrists. 

Yugi shut his eyes and bit his lip in an attempt to hold on to whatever composure he had left. He felt the hands that were once holding his hands now traveling down the length of his torso, pausing at the top of his hips. Newly freed, his own hands instinctively reached down to cup Atem’s hands on his hips. Instead, he was met with hair. 

His violet eyes immediately shot down only to be met with crimson orbs. Crimson orbs belonging to a smirking face. A smirking face that was hovering close to his…

When did Atem manage to get his pants down?

“You know,” Atem licked his lips and eyed the shaft next to him, pre-come dripping from the tip. “I really enjoy it when my men make noise.”

“F-fuck!” Yugi gasped and threw his head back, grabbing the hair at the back of Atem’s head as he took half of Yugi’s cock into his mouth. His tongue swirled around the tip, lapping up any of the juices that were flowing. Atem slid Yugi’s cock out partially of his mouth, pausing at the tip. He then proceeded to slowly slide every inch back in, adjusting himself once he had all of Yugi in his mouth down to the hilt. Yugi bit his lip upon realizing that he was completely inside Atem. 

He wasn’t sure if he would be able to last.

Atem held Yugi’s hips down, forcing Yugi to let him control the pace. He pumped his mouth up and down Yugi’s shaft, Yugi’s grip tightening on Atem’s hair as the sounds of his cock being sucked reached his ears. He felt the streams of saliva mixed with semen slide down his shaft and pool at the base of his dick. Yugi let out a guttural moan as his fingers further laced into Atem’s hair, his other hand flew to the edge of the armrest, bracing himself against the onslaught that was Atem’s mouth.

Feeling a sudden pressure at his entrance, Yugi froze, his breath suddenly catching in his throat. He fought the urge to push back onto the intruding object but rather tried to focus on the warm cavern that was driving him crazy. Noticing the hesitation, Atem stopped and slid Yugi’s dick out of his mouth. Yugi looked up to find concerned eyes looking back at him.

“Did I misread -”

Yugi sat up on his elbows and blushed the deepest shade of red. “It’s been a while.” He blurted as he tried to hide his face behind his hand. “I’m sorry, I -”

Warm lips were planted on his again. Atem’s forehead rested on his. “Don’t be.”

His eyes fell, he was too embarrassed to look at Atem. He frowned as his cock twitched, reminding him of the bulging desire that was still unmet. He shouldn’t have brought him back home. They should have left this all at the bar. Atem followed his line of sight and smirked.

“Well, we could do something else. If you’re open to it, that is.” Yugi’s eyes shot up to the crimson eyed male, who was currently fishing for something in his pocket. Atem held out a plastic square which Yugi eyed carefully. “Would you be willing to take me? I don’t mind either way but, it will be easier on me than it would be on you.”

He bit his lip wondering if it was too late to let him know that he’d never been a top. Luckily, the alcohol answered for him.

He eagerly grabbed the square, ripping off the corner as he gave a few pumps to his aching dick. He missed Atem’s mouth as soon as he slipped the cool plastic sleeve over it. The condom clung to his dick snugly. Glancing back up he found Atem’s eyes examining him. He had taken this moment to remove the rest of his clothes.

Now here they both were, sitting across from one another. Naked. Yugi swallowed as tried to focus, the haze in his mind starting to clear up. He looked around at all of the clothes strewn about on the floor, then back at the gorgeous man sitting before him. How did he get this far? Does Atem really want this?

Is Atem really interested in him?

Warm lips descended on his again. Closing his eyes, he wrapped his arms around Atem, the judgmental thoughts from before being silenced. He felt himself being pulled to straddle the legs of the man in front of him. His fingers were working his way back into Atem’s hair when he felt himself falling forward. He opened his eyes and looked at Atem through his half-lidded mess.

Atem had switched them so that now he was laying under Yugi. 

“I figured you needed some help.” Atem softly said as he smiled, tracing his fingers down Yugi’s chest to rest on his hips. 

He put an arm out on the side of Atem’s face in order to sit back up and shifted his legs so that he was kneeling in-between Atem’s legs instead. His dick twitched; both of their erections were rubbing against each other. His fingers lightly trailed the inside of Atem’s thighs. His mind was such a mess of thoughts and self-judgment and…

And _him_. 

Yugi swallowed his nervousness and started kissing down the side of Atem’s neck, drawing light moans from the man under him. He felt Atem lightly squirm under him, the couch creaking with new movement before the light shuffling to his side caused him to look back at a smiling Atem. He grabbed the side of Yugi’s face as he brought him back into a deep kiss, distracting Yugi enough to bring one of his hands down to his throbbing dick. 

His really slick and throbbing dick.

Atem moaned into the kiss, his hand still guiding Yugi’s as he stroked Atem’s cock. The sounds that he was making driving Yugi absolutely wild. He started moving his hand in a different pattern down Atem’s shaft, causing Atem to let go of his hand and tangle his fingers in the hair at the back of Yugi’s head. Atem teasingly bit the bottom of Yugi’s lip causing him to let his hand slip from Atem’s dick and teasingly let his fingers travel down the length of his shaft.

“Ah, fuck…” Feeling a finger slip inside of him, Atem moaned into the kiss, his fingers tightening in Yugi’s hair. 

Yugi was going so very tantalizingly slow but doing so in a way that Atem wasn’t expecting. He couldn’t deny that yes, while he very thoroughly enjoyed what was happening at the moment, he felt as if he had to continuously lead Yugi into the next step. Thoughts were slowly running through the back of his mind, obscured behind the overwhelming pleasure that he had at the moment. Atem arched his back, pushing himself back down on the finger, trying to set a quicker pace.

So slow…

Why did he constantly have to keep setting the pace?

Pulling back from the kiss, Atem saw for the first time through his half-lidded eyes what he wasn’t seeing before; the missing puzzle piece. Yugi looked absolutely unraveled in the most gorgeous way. His blond bangs, slicked with sweat, stuck to the sides of his face. Atem couldn’t resist running his fingers through the center of Yugi’s head, brushing the bangs back and out of the way.

The way those violet eyes of his looked back at him, filled with so much lust.

So much uncertainty.

So much love.

He hadn’t seen this much emotion during sex since his first time. His eyes slightly widened, repeating the thought. His first time.

Fuck, was this Yugi’s first-

He audibly gasped and threw his head back in absolute ecstasy. Yugi had introduced a second finger and was thrusting them in a scissoring motion. The overwhelming pleasure cast a shadow over the slight pain that the new girth introduced but Atem was trying to focus on the good. Focus on trying to recapture his grip on reality.

The thrusting quickened. Atem had to remember that Yugi was only using his fingers. If he kept this pace, he wasn’t going to last long at all. How was he this good with just his fingers? 

The pace suddenly slowed to a halt before the shorter male removed his fingers completely, Atem slightly feeling saddened at the loss of them. He wanted Yugi to take him. Badly. His hand mindlessly traveled down to his swollen dick, giving it a few pumps in anticipation. Yugi’s lust-filled eyes never looked away from him.

Atem tensed up immediately feeling the head of Yugi’s penis push against his entrance. He swallowed hard and balled his hands into a fist above him. As the head started to slip past his entrance, Yugi reached out and interlaced his fingers into Atem’s hands, undoing the fists that he so tightly wound. 

If he was doing this in an effort to calm him down, it was working. 

He watched as Yugi bent down and captured his lips into a heated kiss filled with fervor, not as rough or raw as they had been going at before. Yugi’s fingers gripped his harder as Yugi continued to slowly push further into him. Atem adjusted himself, feeling every inch of Yugi’s cock as he continued to fill him. His mind was a mix between euphoria and pain, with him trying hard to focus on the former. Yugi was so gentle, a stark contrast to how they were when they came home from the bar. He must be sobering up. 

He felt the fingers interlaced with his begin to loosen up. Shifting again slightly, he felt fuller than he had ever felt. Yugi was completely inside him.

His forehead was resting against Yugi’s, the sounds of their breathing lightly washing over them both. Yugi’s eyes were closed - what was he thinking? Was he waiting for him to be ready, for him to be adjusted to him? Or was it something else entirely?

Freeing one of his hands, Atem lifted it to cup the side of Yugi’s face. The shorter male slowly opened his eyes, allowing the most beautiful pools of amethyst to look back at him. Atem gently nodded as Yugi smiled in response and started slowly moving. 

Atem felt every single inch sliding out and sliding back in again. Each movement sending a shock of immense pleasure throughout his entire system. He found the pain slowly subsiding with every thrust, but the feeling of fullness never going away. 

Yugi’s hands traveled down to brace Atem’s hips, holding him in place as he quickened his pace. “Fuck, Yugi yes!” He breathed as his hand gripped Yugi’s hands on his hips. Yugi’s moans and the sound of his balls slapping against his ass with every thrust were further sending Atem closer to the edge. Yugi started stroking Atem’s dick, pre-come wildly flowing down it. He was breathing heavier and in short bursts. Yes, in reality he preferred being the top, but this. This felt unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Yugi felt so good. So perfect.

For him.

He watched as beads of sweat rolled down Yugi’s chest and the magical, almost ethereal way that he looked as he slammed into him. He needed this man more than anything.

And then it happened.

Yugi changed his angle hitting the one spot. The spot that was going to send Atem completely over. He braced the edge of the couch.

“Fuck me…” Atem moaned, loudly, stressing every syllable. “Yes right there.”

Yugi placed a hand over Atem’s lower stomach and continued pounding into that one spot. Atem grabbed the hand on his stomach and pulled the shorter male into him, into an embrace.

He could hear Yugi’s heavy breathing on the side of his face as he grabbed the back of Atem’s head, tangling his fingers into his hair. Atem dug his nails into Yugi’s back, the speed never ceasing. Fuck, how could one man feel so good?

“Atem, fuck” Yugi said breathlessly. “Fuck I’m so close.”

Atem squeezed his legs around Yugi, everything feeling so good. His nails dragged down, leaving deep scratches on Yugi’s back as he felt himself coming. This was enough to send Yugi over the edge. He felt the pulses of Yugi’s dick in his insides. How he wished the condom wasn’t in the way.

Yugi collapsed on top of him, his chest heavily gasping for air. Atem looked at a spot on the ceiling, equally as breathless. That felt too amazing. Too good. Too -

Was that snoring? Atem turned his head to the side to notice that Yugi’s eyes were closed. He held his breath and was able to hear that the light snoring was indeed coming from him. He stifled a laugh. 

This was the first time he had tired anyone this bad from sex alone. He wrapped his arms around Yugi and flipped them both so that he was back on top again. Yugi shifted, readjusting himself on the couch cushion but otherwise remained asleep. 

He glanced back at the mess they had made in the living room. He gathered his clothes and put what he could back on. Grabbing a throw blanket from the love seat, he placed it over the shorter male, not being able to hold back a smile as Yugi grabbed the blanket and tucked himself in while continuing sound asleep. Watching over Yugi in this state made him feel bad for leaving, but…

This was a one night stand after all.


	5. December 5th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit shorter because in reality, it's a continuation of yesterday's but the time difference reflects the day. I'm bringing a new character into the fray. I hope y'all enjoy this one!

He wiped down the counter for what seemed like the hundredth time today. The blonde having just tended to his last customer for the day was very eager to finally be able to go home. He quickly checked his phone simultaneously wondering if he was in the mood for self care or to get himself taken care of.

In Marik’s world, those were actually two separate things.

He scrolled down his contact list, his eyes stopping on a certain name. Should he call Bakura again? He did own him a railing. 

“Hun, how much longer are you going to be?”

The blond looked up from his phone and briefly glanced around the room, everything looked pristine for the first time today. “I just have to put the stools up, Mai. Should be like another fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen, really?”

Marik glanced over at the new curly head full of hair that popped into the bar area from the office. “Yeah, fifteen.”

“How about you stop trying to get some ass and put the stools up so we can get going?” Mai glared at the blond

The Egyptian rolled his eyes and put his phone away. “Mai, you know my sister can wait, too?”

“Just shut it and get it done.”

He heard the office door close again as he made his way around the bar to pick the stools up off of the floor. The various Christmas lights that they placed under the bar reflected off of the floor in various shades of green and reds. He couldn’t help the smile that crept over his face; it all actually looked very magical.

Finishing the stools, he made his way to the main light switch in the front, switching it off before heading back into the office to join Mai. “I’m done, your highness.”

He barely had time to react to catch the keys that were thrown at him. “Good. Let’s go.” Mai stated as she walked by him.

Marik locked up the building and walked over to embrace Mai. “See ya tomorrow, boss. Say ‘hi’ to Ishizu for me.”

Mai returned the embrace. “I will and Marik?” She pulled back to look at him sternly. “Please remember to use protection.” She was immediately lightly pushed away.

“Good BYE, Mai.” Marik emphasized as he rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

The curly haired blonde laughed as she walked away, her laughter echoing in the street behind him. Marik shook his head and returned back to his phone, he needed the company tonight, especially after the rough day he'd had today. His finger hovered over Bakura’s name again. He tapped his foot on the sidewalk, thinking through his options. 

He and Bakura were just friends; Bakura made that abundantly clear any time he had tried to get them to be anything more. Whether it was by constantly reminding Marik about his other options or by all of the other phone calls and texts that Bakura would receive around him. Or more notably, all of the other sexual escapades that he’d be so eager to share with Marik about. The blond knew better by now than to continue barking up that tree for anything more than a quick lay.

So it was all fine, really. Marik had learned his place by now. He had become the friend with occasional benefits. He looked through the rest of his phone list, the names endlessly scrolling. As a result, he had made sure he had other options as well. 

Part of him didn’t want just anyone tonight though. He continued walking down the sidewalk. The holidays always made him feel a certain type of way. It was a nice time of year but sometimes he really did wish that he had someone that he could spend it with. He pulled his scarf a bit tighter around his neck as a cold breeze sent a sharp shiver down his spine. He really did wish that he could have someone to bake cookies with and decorate a home with. 

His face contorted as he made a puking noise, purely disgusted with that thought. Where did that come from?

If he learned anything from his well hung friend is that nothing serious was the key to a successful relationship. And as contradictory as that seemed, he really wouldn’t change what they had.

Really.

Another thought suddenly came into the forefront of his mind as he slowly walked down the desolate street. What was he going to do for his birthday this year? He was finally turning the big 30. He stopped to look at a gaudy store front, heavily overdecorated with various sets of outfits on display. Part of him wondered who signed off on the decorations. The other wondered if it was someone who really wanted the spirit of the holidays to jump at your face.

He cringed and continued walking. One major downside to having a birthday so close to the holidays was that the holidays always tended to overshadow his day. He had spent years dreading his birthday and everything that it brought. However, after spending so many years avoiding this fact, he decided to finally make this the year to embrace it. Make this the year to celebrate him. He internally facepalmed.

He just wished he didn’t waste the whole year not thinking up a grand celebration plan.

The blond continued walking down the street, deciding to pull out his phone again. There was one person that he definitely wanted to spend it with. He breathed as his feet slowly stopped carrying him forward. Bakura’s name illuminated on the screen, staring back at him.

What was the harm in reaching out? He’d done this many times before. Like always, if he didn’t pick up then he would move on to the next option in the list. He bit the edge of his lip. Why was this riling him up? The next option on the list…

Having Bakura as a friend was better than not having him at all. Right?

Sighing, he finally pressed down on Bakura’s name and brought the phone up to his ear. 

Shoving his hands in his pockets as he continued walking forward, he waited for the other to pick up. Each ring sent him further into his pit of anxiousness. God, how many rings did it take for Bakura to answer? He was about to hang up with he heard a click on the other end.

“Yeah?” 

Marik grimaced, his heart sinking into the pit of his stomach. He knew what that breathless response meant. “Hey! Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“A bit.”

“Why did you even pick up?” It drove him absolutely up a wall whenever Bakura pulled shit like this. How hard was it to just ignore a phone call?

Marik heard the low moan before Bakura managed to get out, “Well are you okay?”

“Yes. Everything is fine. I’ll talk to you later.” The blond sternly stated as he immediately hung up, not waiting for the other to say anything.

Friends with some sort of benefits. 

He made his way home and hung his coat by the door. The resounding silence reminding him that he was both physically and very emotionally alone. 

Looking at his bare apartment made him realize that he needed to get started on some sort of decoration for the holidays. Normally, his family would all meet at Ishizu’s for the holidays; she always had the keen eye for decorating. He examined the bare living room, specifically eyeing the small blanket that was draped over his chaise. He wasn’t big on decorating but he liked having something small. Something to show that he at least had some sort of spirit, whether it be for the holidays or his overshadowed birthday.

He walked into the storage closet in his room and started digging through it. Having found the right box aptly titled _RANDOM CHRISTMAS SHIT_ , he pulled it out and started rummaging through it. 

“There you are!” He exclaimed as he pulled out the tiny Christmas tree and a small set of string lights out of the massive pile of props and other ornaments that were thrown into the container. These two items were his go-to methods of decorating. He walked back out into the living room and placed the tree in the middle of the coffee table and walked out to his balcony, wrapping the string lights around the railing before finally plugging the set of white lights into the outlet near the wall. He smiled at himself and gazed over the cityscape. 

He contently sighed and thought back to his current situation. Flipping his phone back out he took note of the time: 2am. He reopened his contact list and started scrolling.

He really needed to get laid.


	6. December 6th

Overwhelmed, Joey paused the video on the tablet, glancing at the mess in front of him, trying to find a means to the madness. Part of him was cursing himself for thinking that he could get this far while the other half was still very stubbornly determined to make this happen. 

Why was he listening to the latter voice?

He picked up the spatula in the mixing bowl in front of him and licked the sides clean, in an attempt to bide time until he could figure out how to proceed from here. He had already improvised a couple of steps since he didn’t have the correct ingredients on hand. He had also over added too much of said ingredients because he used the incorrect measuring cups. His brows perked up in interest.

Ultimately, the batter wasn’t half as bad as it should have been by those standards.

Still, part of him wondered if it was too late to call Yugi over to help him out with this. Hell, he was even willing to give Mokuba a call. He was willing to put up with his mocking attitude if it meant him getting the cookies done and decorated before…

Before Kaiba got home.

He sighed glancing at the time. It was now or never. He either made these calls and dealt with the outcome or tried and suffered through the rest of this in the hopes that he’d get it all done in time. 

Call it desperate, but Joey was hoping these cookies came across as more than just a gesture to the other man. He was hoping that he could see it as a deed of sorts, a peace offering, if you will. Something that would show how incredibly sorry he was for being an ass. 

He rolled his eyes, his whole body groaning at the situation that he found himself in. Well maybe he wouldn’t have had to be an ass if a certain CEO would just pick up the phone whenever his boyfriend would call. Joey fished out an ice cream scoop from one of the drawers and started to sift out the batter mixture onto different spots on the pan next to him that was already lined with parchment paper. He wiped his batter-filled hands on his flour-soaked apron as he resumed playing the video from before. He watched as the girl on the screen lightly tapped the pan on the table to level out the cookie batter before placing it in the heated oven. Joey facepalmed. He knew he was forgetting something.

Shit! How hot was the oven supposed to be? He paused the video again to keep himself from yelling at the universe in annoyance. Part of him now finally understanding why Kaiba hired chefs to do his bidding. 

He quickly drummed his fingers on the counter top, thoughts flying through his head, wondering and evaluating each one to determine the best way to go from here. Improvise.

Swallowing every feeling within him telling him that was a bad idea, Joey turned on the oven to a high enough temperature and threw the batter-filled cookie pan in. He could just deduct the overall time from the time he put these in, right? 

He waltzed over to the couch and threw himself on it as he grabbed the remote off of the coffee table in front of him. He had the perfect night planned with Seto. Glancing back at the clock, he just hoped that his boyfriend would get home on time and not get held up by work, again. 

Joey flipped through the channels, looking for something interesting. His fingers stopped once he got to commercial that captured his interest. Something about a vacation. He snickered. A vacation on a hot secluded beach would be amazing right now, he thought as he glanced outside the window to see the snow falling gently outside. 

He always loved the first snow of the season. The way that it covered everything in the city, leaving it all new and almost magical was something that always brought him joy. His problem lied in every other occurrence of snow that came after it; after that first time it just became an annoyance.

Part of him wondered if Kaiba was starting to rub off on him. He twiddled his fingers, aimlessly. He used to love the snow and all of the newness that it brought. He lived for the holiday season, the way that it seemed to wrap up the year nicely and bring joy to everyone around. He used to love everything from carolers to wrapping gifts to spending time with his friends and family. Now he just…well he was tired of everything. He didn’t want to spend time with anyone.

Well, there was someone in particular that he was dying to spend time with.

A bitter smell rocked him out of his thoughts. His head immediately snapped to the oven to see that it was starting to smoke. He jumped out of his seat, tripping over his own feet in the process but still managing to make it to the oven in one piece. He haphazardly opened the door in a quick motion in an attempt to save the spherical delicacies, reaching in instinctively, only to realize the searing pain that shot through his hands. 

“Fuck!” His hand shot to his mouth, as he started to suck on his fingers, trying to quickly quell the pain. He grabbed the oven mitts with his other hand and took the tray out of the oven, throwing it on the table beside him. 

He stared at the tray, defeated. The browned edges letting him know that they weren’t completely a loss but they weren’t the exact way that his boyfriend would have liked them. He quickly glanced back at the time, debating whether or not he had enough time to make a new batch.

He didn’t.

He closed the oven door and angrily took his oven mitt off, throwing it on the table beside the over browned cookies in the process. He put his hands on the table and hung his head in defeat. He needed this to be absolutely perfect and somehow he wasn’t able to even muster that. Was this what his relationship had come to? He couldn’t even make a batch of cookies correctly, what made him think that he actually had what it took to keep them together? 

He slowly glanced up at the tray, wondering if he should even present them. A key turning at the door made him shelf the thought instantly.

He watched as a tall brunet made his way in, large gaudy briefcase in hand. Walking as if the very air couldn’t hold on to the sight of him. He heard the footsteps coming close and then walking past the kitchen, making their way down the hall. Finally, hearing the closing of a door and then a soft locking sound. He balled his hands into fists, ignoring the searing pain in his left hand. 

Day in and day out, the story was always the same, the behavior never changing. No matter how many times he brought up being an after thought. No matter how many times he brought up that he felt like he was just there. 

An accessory.

A prop.

Something to make the great Seto Kaiba feel like he had something, but never important enough to feel like his someone.

But he loved him. Yes, Joey Wheeler loved him. And he was sure that Kaiba loved him back. Behind the missed calls and unanswered texts. He loved him.

After all, it was what Kaiba would whisper to him as they rustled between the sheets, his hands gripping the warm skin on his waist. The sweat dripping from both of their bodies.

I love you.

Joey would feel elated in the moment but those words never seemed to carry past those sheets. Past the bed in which they laid. Past the room that they shared.

The pain in his hand had evolved into a stabbing jolt. He gently lifted his hand to notice the beet red color that it had turned. He probably needed to get that checked out.

“What smells burnt?”

Startled, the blond looked up at the door, seeing his boyfriend standing in the middle of it. His eyes laced with concern.

Joey hesitated. The cookies weren’t presentable at all, especially not in this state. Betraying him, his eyes glanced over to the tray. He was never one to lie and he wasn’t going to start now.

“Uh, I tried making something but it didn’t work out too well.”

“Of course you did.”

Joey focused his eyes on him as he walked into the kitchen, finally stopping on the other side of the kitchen island that he was currently standing at. The blond furrowed his brows, trying to anticipate what would come next.

Kaiba never paid attention to him this early in the evening. Him going directly to his office usually meant that the brunet had come home with work that needed to be tended to outside of the office, whatever that meant.

“What’s up with your hand?”

Kaiba’s eyes were glued on his hands; the ones he had been absentmindedly rubbing together trying to soothe the pain shooting through them. “Nothing, I -”

Joey stopped as he noticed Kaiba making his way around the table to examine his hands. He gave in knowing that there was no way to win against him once he was fixated on something. 

His hands felt both oddly at home and out of place in Kaiba’s grasp. The shocking realization made him think about when was the last time that they had been intimate. His train of thought abruptly stopped. When was the last time? It wasn’t last week, was it? Kaiba’s frown pulled him back out of his thoughts. “What the hell, Wheeler.” 

_Oh_ , the use of his last name. Joey rolled his eyes and muttered, “here we go again.”

Kaiba glared at him. “Do you realize that this is a first degree burn? What the hell were you doing?”

“I was trying to surprise you.” Joey stated, his voice surprisingly stoic for how annoyed he had felt. “I just forgot to grab the mitts when I went to take these cookies out of the oven.”

He wasn’t sure if the brunet was still paying any attention to him or not as he had left the room in search of something as soon as Joey had opened his mouth. He figured it was the first aid kit but it wouldn’t surprise him if he was just running to another meeting. 

He was losing his patience. He felt like a child every time Kaiba called him by his last name. A child being scolded. How hard was it to call him by his name, or even ‘babe’? Babe was cute, short, and simple. He thought back to the time that he had tried to get Kaiba to say that out loud. He looked as if it physically pained him to say the four letters out loud. As if he were being put through the most unimaginable form of torture.

He watched as the brunet emerged again with a white box in his hands, his face also contorted into a look of grave annoyance. At least the feeling was mutual.

He set the box on the counter and grabbed Joey’s hand without saying a word. Gauze, ointment, and band-aids littered the counter. He winced as Kaiba wiped his hand clean with a alcohol swab that was obtained from the box. His hand somehow felt worse than it had before. Kaiba’s grip tightened on his hand.

“Stay still. I need to make sure it’s disinfected before I put the ointment on.” 

Joey wished he were asleep, or at least anywhere but here. This wasn’t how this night was supposed to go at all. It was supposed to be a cute romantic night in. As they sat by the fire and ate cookies and -

The first aid kit snapped shut, the sound cracking through the heavy tension in the air. Joey looked at the box or rather the hands that laid over it. His eyes traveled back to lay on the hazel eyes of the man standing in front of him. Without saying a word, Kaiba sighed and walked back out of the kitchen, his footsteps retreating back to the office at the end of the hall. 

Joey bit his lip and bowed his head, biting back the urge to cry. Fighting back the urge to give into his frustration and worthlessness. His eyes glanced back up, falling on the now cooled down cookie tray in front of him. It sickened him, really. What was once a small token of hope that filled him with joy was now a stark reminder of everything he didn’t have.

Of everything he was losing.

Without thinking he grabbed the tray and chucked it at the wall next to him. The loud bang reverberated throughout the room; Joey had no doubt that his boyfriend heard from the room down the hall. But what didn’t happen next is what finally broke him down. The one action that Kaiba didn’t take is the one that he was desperately hoping for the most. He waited as he slowly crumbled to the floor. Straining to listen for any movement, any shuffling. The sound of a door opening. Anything to prove that Kaiba still cared. 

That Kaiba still saw him as anything more than just a body. Joey wrapped his arms around himself and looked at the broken cookies strewn on the floor, the tray laying silently beside them. 

So much for a romantic night in.


	7. December 7th

“And then I was like, ‘Well do you even know who I am?!’”

Atem rubbed the sides of his temples with his fingers. It was way too early to deal with his cousin’s superiority complex. “Mhmm.” He muttered, mostly to keep feeding the younger male’s ego.

He had arrived to the office promptly at 8 in the morning to a shit show of work all directed at him courtesy of his oldest cousin, Seto. He grabbed a coffee, trying to make sure that he was able to stay awake for it all. He looked down at the empty cup in front of him; having already finished his third cup. It was only 8:20am. 

“Are you listening, Tem?”

The male looked up to notice the scowl painted on the face of the youngest Kaiba.

“Yes, Mokie.” Atem grabbed his cup, and got up from his desk. “I just need more coffee.”

“I don’t think that much coffee is good for you.” Mokuba piped as he walked beside the elder to the coffee room. “Seto swears that it’s bad for you.”

“Yeah, well Seto also thrives off of the life essence of everyone around him.” Atem retorted as he poured more coffee into his empty cup. He heard Mokuba hold back a snicker beside him. “Don’t you have school or something else that you can do right now?”

“I’m on break until January.” Mokuba eyed him as he leaned against the bar and sipped his coffee. He had a feeling he’d need another cup before the youngster left him. Was double-fisting coffee cups a thing? “Plus, big brother wants me to test out the new duel system once you get the test cases written out for them.”

“Of course he does.”

“Yeah, he told me that he wanted me to get those done by this afternoon.”

Atem stoically stared at the younger Kaiba unsure of what to say without losing his mind. He tried to channel whatever patience he had left. “Now was this before or after all of the shit he threw at me this morning?”

Mokuba smirked, “I don’t know. Doesn’t he pay you to figure that stuff out?”

“He doesn’t pay me at all, actually.” He took another sip of his coffee wondering if anyone would notice if he spiked it. “Hey, why don’t you go and ask him about that?”

“Ask him about why he doesn’t pay you?”

“No.” Atem rolled his eyes and suppressed an aggravated sigh. “Ask him what specific test cases he wants to see on the new duel disk.” He pushed himself off of the coffee bar and started making his way back to his office. He heard Mokuba’s footsteps struggling to keep up with him behind him.

“But he’s going to say he told you about them.”

“I know.”

“He’s going to be mad that you didn’t take notes.”

Reaching his office, he put his hand on the knob and turned back to his youngest cousin. “And that’s a problem that I’m willing to let future me deal with.”

Uncertainty painted over Mokuba’s features as he looked back at the elder. “You know he’s going to call-”

“I know.” Atem stated, exasperated. “Feel free to also remind him that I’m at extension 547.”

“It’s a shame, you were my favorite cousin.”

“I’m your only cousin.”

Mokuba laughed and turned to walk away. “I’ll let you know what he says.”

Atem opened the door to his office and walked in knowing full well that Seto would let him know before Mokuba did.

He slumped back in his chair and pulled out a flask from his top drawer, pouring it’s contents in the remaining half cup of coffee that he had. Today was going to be one of those days.

Turning in his seat, he reached out to power on his computer when the sight of his desk phone jolted him from his actions. Should he? Without a second thought, he reached behind the phone and pulled the jack out of it. Again, eagerly willing to let future him deal with whatever fallout he was going to face. 

Atem took a deep breath and downed more of his cup of coffee, remembering instantly what he had done as soon as the first sip went down and the burning sensation traveled down his throat. He immediately broke into a coughing fit, regretting that he ever took air for granted. Once the coughing had subsided, Atem sat there with his head in his hands, part of him thankful for being able to live another day while the other half was annoyed at the fact that he was there to begin with. 

Kaiba Corp. had evolved into a global organization with offices all around the globe. Much to his cousin’s dismay, Atem managed the office in Egypt. It was the one decision that Seto had absolutely no control over and made sure to remind him of anytime that they spoke. Atem and his cousin didn’t necessarily hate each other, they just had a very vast difference in how they approached work. Atem was lax but collective. He thrived under pressure and would usually leave things until last minute in order to start working on them. Kaiba however, was very anal retentive.

At least, that’s how Atem described it to anyone who asked.

Atem stared blankly at his calendar taps, as he took another sip of his spiked coffee, genuinely wondering how he was expected to get anything done. The door slamming open caused Atem to look up at the seething figure standing in the doorway.

“You are such a child.”

Atem’s eyes rolled back down to his monitor. “Maybe this entire transition would go by much easier if you just tell me what was so urgent that you felt the need to fly me out here.” 

The resounding silence caused Atem to glance back up at the elder Kaiba, who was now standing in front of the closed office door. He was looking away from him, tension clouding his face. Was he really that mad over the way he’s been acting?

Seething, blue eyes found their way back on Atem’s crimson. “You should treat this job with more respect if you actually expect to be taken seriously.”

What the…

Atem slowly arose from his seat, keeping his hands braced flat on the table as he looked sternly back at his cousin. “Excuse me?”

Kaiba smirked, continuing on his tirade. “I need you to cover as interim CEO in less than a month’s time. So far, your total disregard for authority and overall lack of professionalism is making me rethink this decision.”

Atem snorted as he crossed his arms in front of him. “I’ve been here a total of 90 minutes, Seto. Can you please give me a break? It might help if you stop calendar tapping me on bullshit meetings like ‘Intro. To Kaiba Corp.’”

“How else am I to make sure that you’re the correct person for the position?”

The shorter male’s left eye twitched. He didn’t know why but the matter-of-fact way that Kaiba stated that bugged him a lot more than it normally would.   
  
“So why don’t you clean your act up before I have to find a replacement for you.”

Atem watched as Seto showed himself out, not giving him a chance to respond. He threw himself back on his chair and and frustratingly started to mock the elder Kaiba. “So why don’t you clean your act up before I have to find a replacement for -”

“That sounds pretty on point, Tem.”

Atem’s eyes shot to the door to find the youngest Kaiba leaning against the door frame with a smirk painted on his face. He dismissively blinked the youngster away as his eyes drifted back to his monitor.

He heard small footsteps make their way into the office and close the door. He looked back up to find Mokuba leaning against it, the hand behind him still holding onto the closed knob. “Try and go easy on him, will you? He doesn’t mean any of it.”

“Well it’s not like he has the power to really do anything he says.”

“I know.” Mokuba retorted, “it’s just, it’s not you that he’s mad at.” 

His hesitation caused Atem to turn a raised brow at him. “Does it have anything to do with why I’m taking over as interim CEO for a few months?”

Mokuba shuffled his feet and looked back at Atem. “Look, I think you’ll have to hear it from him. For now, just know that he gets extra crabby when he’s mad at his boyfriend.”

Boyfriend?

Atem took another sip of his coffee. “I’m sorry. I think I dozed off when you said that. Did you just say that he has a boyfriend?”

The youngest Kaiba rolled his eyes and looked back at Atem. “Yes, now please don’t make a big deal of it. Just do what he wants you to do.” His eyes fell back to the massive grin spread over his cousin’s face. “Oh great, you’re going to make a big deal out of it.”

“I’m just surprised that there’s someone out there who loves all of your brother’s three emotions: anger, annoyance, and boredom.”

“I get it, Atem.” Mokuba sighed and looked back at his cousin. “Just don’t tell him that I told you. I know he’s too mad to really talk to you now but big brother really does need this transition to go through successfully.”

Atem’s finger circled the mouth of his coffee cup, dozens of thoughts swirling through his mind. Mokuba frowned, knowing that look from anywhere. “Would you at least tell me who this beau is?”

Mokuba rolled his eyes and opened the door to leave, ignoring the question that was just asked. “I need the test cases by this afternoon, Atem!” He closed the door behind him, unable to refrain from smiling at his cousin’s cackling behind the door.  
  
____________

  
Atem felt an eerie sense of familiarity wash over him the moment that he walked into the bar; the same one that he had just been in 3 days prior. The bar had a ton of Christmas decorations everywhere along with a holiday jingle playing over the speakers. Was it always this heavily decorated?

“Well look what the cat dragged in.” Marik exclaimed from behind the bar as he cleaned a glass. Atem smiled and took a seat at the corner. Realizing a few seconds after that this was the same seat that Yugi was in just a few days before. “What can I do you in for?”

“Jack and Coke, please.” Atem stated as he took his coat off. Marik nodded as he grabbed a fresh glass from the tray below the bar. 

The bar was so much more quiet than when he was last here. A couple of groups sat at tables close to the entrance but aside from him and another patron, the rest of the bar stools were empty. 

“How are you?”

Atem’s glance fell on the blond who was now pouring whiskey into the glass he had picked up prior. He seemed like he was over-pouring. Running a hand through his bangs, Atem sighed. “Don’t ever work for family.”

Marik stopped what he was doing and immediately hunched over laughing. “It’s too late for me on that one.”

Going back to rubbing his temples, Atem continued, “I just don’t understand what’s going on with my cousin. He’s being a bigger asshole than usual because he’s supposedly fighting with his boyfriend.” 

The blond’s laughter only increased in intensity as he stopped and took out two shot glasses instead. “Okay, hold on. I think we need to start you off with one of these instead.” 

“It’s just annoying,” Atem continued on his rant, “because instead of talking to me like a normal human being, he expects me to be on his level of social ineptitude and fucking mind read to fulfill his daily desires.”

He abruptly stopped once Marik placed a shot glass full of some liquid in front of him. “What you my dear friend are actually dealing with is just called family.”

“It’s such a pain.”

They both clinked their glasses together. After Marik downed his, he continued, “Only the biggest kind. But hey! Without them, we wouldn’t be where we currently are. I still can’t tell if it’s a blessing or a curse.”

“Or masochism.” Atem stated pulling a laugh from the blond, “So what’s your story?”

“Well,” Marik returned back to preparing Atem’s drink, “my boss is dating my sister. So I completely understand how one can inevitably end up caught in the middle of their quarrel.”

Atem’s eyes fell back to his empty shot glass, twirling it in his hand. 

“So, how was it?”

The question jolted him out of his head. He looked back at the blond, confused. “How was what?”

Marik splashed a bit of soda into the cup before he set it down in front of him. “Yugi. It looked like you guys hit it off the other night.”

He took a sip of his drink and immediately grimaced. Marik had definitely over-poured. He opened his eyes to find the blond smirking back at him. “I want to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth.”

So that was why the drinks were hitting harder the last time that he was here. He set the glass down and thought about Marik’s question. He hadn’t thought about Yugi in the days since but he couldn’t ignore that it felt like something had been missing since he last left him. “It was a one-time thing so I wouldn’t know what to tell you.”

Marik was now pouring himself another shot. His face contorted into confusion as he reached out to grab another alcohol bottle. “That’s odd. He didn’t really seem like a one-time type of guy.”

“What do you mean?”

Marik held his shot out to Atem’s glass, awaiting the toast. Atem returned the gesture and took another sip of his drink, regretting the spiked drinks that he was having at work all day. 

“I mean,” Marik started as he set his now empty shot glass back down, “that Yugi came off as more of a relationship kind of guy. I never pegged him for being the type to do anything as committal as that with someone that he had just met.”

Atem swirled his finger around the mouth of his drink, pensive. Part of him running from the fact that he felt the same way as well when he first approached Yugi, but Yugi said he wasn’t, right?

_I mean, I don’t do anything serious._

His fingers tapped the sides of his glass. Did he maybe feel bold?

“Who knows, maybe the alcohol made him feel braver than he was.” Marik stated as he cleaned out another glass. “He’s a nice guy, though. He stops by here a couple of times a week. It’s weird, he’s friendly but I have always felt like he wasn’t telling me the whole truth.”

Atem looked up at the blond ready to ask what gave him that idea but Marik beat him to the punch. “He’d evade certain questions. I had asked him about his family once but he just changed the subject.”

He nodded in acknowledgment and looked back down at his drink. The shorter male was cute, Atem had no qualms with what he saw both in and out of those clothes. He took another sip of his drink, hiding the blush that overcame his face. However, there was something about Yugi that he couldn’t quite pin down. 

Yugi was both an enigma and an answer to something that Atem wished he knew the question to. Part of him wished he hadn’t left the man that night without saying a word or even leaving his number. While the other was trying to get him to refocus on why he was in Domino in the first place. He shook his head, ridding himself of his thoughts of Yugi. He’d had a shit day as it was, there was no reason to latch onto this man as a distraction from the present.

No matter how bad part of him hoped that maybe, just maybe, Yugi was meant to be an escape from his reality.


	8. December 8th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was tough, but I really need to thank the collaborative effort of the YGOCL discord for helping me get through this chapter - with a special shout-out to Cleo, Squids, and Elexica in helping me get in the right mindset for Kaiba!
> 
> This one is going to be loaded with the feels. 
> 
> As always, I hope y'all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

“Look at you waltzing in here at midnight!”

Bakura snickered at the very sarcastic comment that was aimed at him. He walked over to the bar and took the seat closest to the corner. He eyed the blond, who was currently giving him the meanest scowl he could muster up as he cleaned a glass. “What’s gotten into you?”

Marik sighed and grabbed another glass, filling it with the first bottle of alcohol that he grabbed off the shelf before placing the filled cup in front of Bakura, not letting go. “Where have you been, Kura? Normally I don’t care but it’s been a week.”

The white haired male grabbed the cup, causing Marik to let it go, and took a sip before answering. “Actually, it’s been a couple of days.”

“That doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

Marik huffed and looked away, his arms bracing the bar top for support. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

Setting his glass back down, Bakura smirked and rested his head on his hand in a mocking manner. “Why, did you miss me?” He ignored the violet eyes that glared daggers back at him. “Besides, I came to make it up to you tonight.”

Marik gestured over his shoulder to the couple at the other end of the bar. “Unless you’re into group stuff…”

Bakura’s brows furrowed as he glanced in the direction that the blond had pointed out. “You know how much I hate sharing.”

“Well, I guess you’re out of luck then, buddy.” Marik smiled as he picked up another wet cup and started drying it with the hand towel.

Bakura hesitated and glanced back down at his cup. Frankly, he hadn’t thought about Marik at all; he just needed to get away from everything and everyone. But now sitting here with the blond, it made him wonder why he had shut him out. His focus these past few days was to get away and be absolutely alone. Part of him wanting so hard to shed his twin from himself. Bakura looked up to find concerned, violet eyes looking back at him. 

“Is everything okay, Kura?” Marik asked putting the cup down and picking up another.

His eyes shifted between the blond and the people at the other end of the bar. “How soon are you leaving after you get off?”

Marik shrugged, his gaze never leaving Bakura. “Why do you ask?”

He drummed his fingers on the side of the cup and bit on the skin on the inside of his lip. There was a feeling riling up inside of Bakura that he didn’t understand and therefore, didn’t like. He wanted to spend time with the blond tonight, whether or not it was intimate. But he was having a hard time deciphering if it was because he genuinely wanted to or because he didn’t want him spending time with _those_ people. His eyes naturally shifted back to the couple at the end of the bar. “I just wanted to hang out.”

Instantly grimacing, Bakura tried his best to ignore how much of a lie that line was. He continued drumming his fingers on the side of the glass cup, feeling the blond’s eyes examining him. They never just ‘hung out’, Bakura was very well aware of that. Anytime it was just them, they would always end up in a very compromising position.

A position that neither of them really had a problem with.

“Where have you been, Bakura?” Bakura noticed that Marik had set the glass that he was cleaning back down and his focus was solely on him. “I-” Bakura eyed the blond, confused at the hesitation, but Marik recovered. “I know that we don’t talk about issues much but, you do know that I’m here for you, right?” 

What other options did Bakura really have? Did he really want to tell him the truth? They were strictly fuck buddies. Bakura made sure to establish that line very early on and up until now, he struggled to see the other as anything more but maybe he was subconsciously doing so? As much as Bakura hated to admit it, Marik was his oldest friend. His _only_ friend. Frankly, if for whatever reason he were ever in a position where he couldn’t get a hold of his brother, Marik would be the close second that he would call.

It would always be Marik.

“Ryou is getting married.”

Silence. Marik’s eyes narrowed, his focus unwavering from the male in front of him. “I’m guessing this isn’t congratulatory?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Okay,” Marik stepped back and eyed Bakura, “So, how do _we_ feel about that?”

“It’s just fucked, you know? Like he’s my fucking brother -”

“Wait.” Marik held out a hand, instructing Bakura to slow down. “How did we get to this point? What happened?”

Bakura shook his head as his fingers continued drumming on the cup. This was a mistake, Marik was never going to understand. He needed to talk to talk to his brother. Yeah, that’s exactly what he needed to do. But fuck his brother - he took Tea’s side. He chose Tea without any regard for him. Why should he care? Warm hands closed over his, stopping the drumming and jolting him from his thoughts. Bakura noticed his breathing had slowed. He looked up to find Marik inches from his face, uncertainty weighing heavily in his eyes. 

“Stay with me.” Marik whispered. “You’re spiraling and I’m trying to understand why.”

Bakura screwed his eyes shut and bit the inside of his lip, tasting metal. He felt like he was trying to swim against a strong current. He tried his best to push that feeling aside and answer the question directed at him. “I feel like I’m losing my brother.”

“You’re not, Kura. You’re really not.” Marik rubbed the back of his hands. Feeling his anxiousness ebb away, he looked back up at the blond. “Why do you feel that way?”

A rush, his heart beating faster. What was causing this feeling? His eyes examined the face before him. Concerned violet eyes focused back on his. “The bride to be,” Bakura muttered lowly, “we’re not exactly on the greatest of terms.”

“What did she do?”

Bakura raised a brow. “Bold of you to assume that she did something.”

Marik bowed his head and looked back at him with a smile. “Well, I’ve known you long enough to know that you don’t bat an eye over something you caused.”

The warm hands on his suddenly felt as if they were on fire. Bakura yanked his hands back, startling the blond, who in turn readjusted himself on the bar. His pleading eyes looked back at Bakura filled with apology. He felt his heartbeat speed up again. Wait, he couldn’t be…

“I think I should go.” Bakura muttered, his eyes unable to leave the violet.

Marik looked as if he were fighting something within him. He balled his fists by his side and grabbed another cup. “Yeah, I think you should.” Marik stated, barely audibly.

The white haired male hesitated, his eyes not helping but to steal a glance at the couple again before getting up. The sliding of the stool as he pushed back ringing a lot louder than he ever remembered. Internally his mind was racing, running through all of the possibilities. Once he was outside, he exhaled a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding. When did this happen? How could he _let_ this happen?

He was never supposed to fall. 

_____________

  
How had they ended up here?

Kaiba hung his head in his hands, a bottle of gin in front of him. It was currently three in the morning. If he focused hard enough, he could hear Joey snoring in the next room over. He closed his eyes wishing for a moment that he were laying beside him, instead. His work wasn’t done for the day but of course, work was never done. There was always something no matter how small that always required all of his attention. It was his company at the end of the day, after all. If he didn’t pay attention to every single detail, no one else would.

The brunet sighed and sat back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling above him. His thoughts kept finding their way back to his boyfriend, no matter how bad he tried not to think of him. He was acting erratic lately, well more than usual. Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose trying to focus on wrapping up his work for the night. 

He really wished he knew why Joey was acting the way that he was.

“Why the fuck would he bake cookies?” He absently muttered into the abyss. Joey didn’t have a cooking bone in his body, let alone a baking one. Kaiba sighed and poured more gin into the small glass in front of him. Just thinking about the burn that Joey gave himself drove him up a wall most days.

Or most of the time.

He let out a sharp breath of air before taking a deep swig, the burning of the alcohol no longer affecting him. Some days he was thankful his tolerance was so high. He admired not getting silly after a couple of drinks and doing something that he would eventually regret. However, tonight was not one of those nights.

He just needed a couple of more weeks for everything to fall into place, for everything to go through as planned. That thought brought another person into the forefront of his mind. 

Fucking, Atem; his lovely asshole of a cousin.

Kaiba couldn’t suppress another sigh that escaped his lips. He got up and walked the few steps to gaze outside of his massive floor-to-ceiling windows. As he stepped closer he couldn’t help but recall the time when both he and Joey were apartment hunting and how much his boyfriend had fallen in love with the windows. Kaiba smiled, Joey’s massive, goofy smile painted brightly in his memory. Part of him struggled to think of another time after that when the blond smiled as beautifully. 

He absentmindedly swirled the liquid held in his cup, his other hand resting in the nook of his back. 

He took another sip from the cup as he gazed over the city. He used to look forward to these nights surrounded by his work, himself, and his thoughts. Looked forward to this solace. However, this was all before he had met Joey. Kaiba couldn’t tell you when but gradually he started desiring phone calls with the blond over late nights hovering over a computer keyboard. Yearned to feel Joey’s arms around him over yelling at some idiot at a board meeting. Found himself wanting to have the blond's lips over his, than to be drinking his hundredth coffee of the day, trying to make it through. 

Kaiba couldn’t tell you when but he was happy that Joey had snuck in and took over every aspect of his life. His priorities suddenly changed. One day he just couldn’t stop thinking about the blond and from that day forward, Kaiba devoted to spend the rest of his waking moments ensuring that he could give Joey the world, even though he deserved so much more.

He lightly swirled the drink again, keeping his focus distant. There was so much tension between Joey and him; he really wish he knew what the cause was. He had half a mind to ask Yugi about it once, but decided against it. The last thing that he needed was the shrimp meddling in his relationship.

No matter how much he tried to look past it, he couldn’t escape Joey’s wrath, however silent it was. He couldn’t avoid the grunts of disapproval or the various nights where he was given the silent treatment; the silence at those times ringing louder than their voices would have. He swirled the liquid again, abruptly stopping once he heard shuffling of the sheets in the room next door. His gaze fell onto the lit monitor behind him. 

He drank the remaining liquid in his cup and leisurely walked back to his table, gently setting the cup down on the corner of it. His eyes scanned the table, various sheets with multitudes of words and numbers written all over them littered the table in various areas. As much as he was fighting the notion, he knew that he would have to make the time to finish this in the morning. 

He needed to go make his wish a reality.


End file.
